November 2018 Newsletter

HOW EXCITING!

Tons of great stuff coming your way this month; a reprise of some of our most popular holiday recipes, a look back at our most talked about posts, plus delicious food and drinks to help you entertain over the next few months. And on a personal note, some reflections on what to do when shit happens.

TURKEY TIME

Judging by the joyous response we received for our step-by-step, minute-by-minute coverage of Canadian Thanksgiving at the cottage, we were not alone. We felt the entire country celebrating this treasured get-together with friends and family.

Our dear American cousins still have that task ahead of them, so we’ve created a TURKEY TIME HOLIDAY MENU series beginning November 20. We’ll be posting a video on how to make our famous SALT-BRINED TURKEY, as well as offer food, drink and tablescape ideas sure to please. Stay tuned – just like winter, holiday entertaining is coming.

#weekendatthecottage

OK, so what’s up with INSTAGRAM? There we were posting pics and stories with our hashtag when – boom – a couple from Oslo did the same. Then some new cottage-loving friends did the same thing from Finland. We heard from some fans in Australia too. Now, it seems we’re building a following, and we’re LOVING it! How amazing that our hashtag is gaining popularity across the globe with other folks loving the cottage vibe.

That said, we request that you please keep encouraging your INSTA friends to follow us, and keep tagging your pics with our dedicated hashtag #weekendatthecottage. It’s a great way to share your love for everything that has to do with the cottage state of mind. You’ll be a part of our growing community which is awesome, too!

SHIT HAPPENS

This final bit is for anyone who might be struggling out there. Speaking from experience – and trust me, I’ve had my fair share of late – SHIT HAPPENS. Question is, what are you going to do about it?

This past Thanksgiving, a couple of my sisters and their husbands came up to the cottage and I was pumped. We had a plan crafted for delicious food, there was a list of chores posted on the fridge, I even managed to prep and schedule two shoots. Imagine lots of hugs and laughs – it’s always pretty amazing when I’m in the company of one or more of my siblings.

Then, SHIT HAPPENED, literally!

We were doing dishes on Friday evening when I noticed an odd sound emanating from the sink in the kitchen. We traipsed (we love to traipse) outside to look at the septic system. Oh NO, this isn’t happening! Something is seeping outta the cap of the well and it smells mighty funky to boot.

So, here was that moment when I definitely needed perspective. What to do when shit happens? My “ah ha” moment came to me while my brothers-in-law and I were bent over an overflowing septic tank. My sister Dana grabbed my arm and with a big smile on her face said, “Oh wow, this is exciting!”

Of all the words in the English language, my sister chose EXCITING. That was a new way of looking at things and that one word instantly changed my perspective. I suddenly found the entire scenario laughably exciting and knew I had to get my you-know-what together!

We called for a visit from the septic honeywagon. I ended up finding a new local plumber and his helpful sidekick wife. They work holiday weekends – bonus! My family was ever so gracious, and yes, my new approach to every challenging situation going forward will be, “HOW EXCITING!”

Let’s all agree to embrace this perspective, especially as the holiday season approaches. No matter what comes your way, think of your friends at Weekend at the Cottage surrounding you with love and support – HOW EXCITING!